By Wellington Sibale
Archbishop of Blantyre Archdiocese, Thomas Luke Msusa, has called for stronger collaboration between the church, government, teachers, and community leaders in nurturing responsible and spiritually grounded youth.
He made the call during Vocation Sunday celebrations held at Ligowe Catholic Parish in Neno District, organised by the Youth Organisation of the Archdiocese of Blantyre.
The event, which also doubled as a Youth Day, drew young people from parishes across the archdiocese.
Speaking at the gathering, Archbishop Msusa noted that the fourth Sunday of Easter holds special significance in the Catholic Church, as it is observed as Good Shepherd Sunday and the World Day of Prayer for Vocations-a tradition established by Pope Paul VI.
“We are here at Neno Parish where young people from all over the parishes of the Archdiocese of Blantyre have come together to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord,” said Msusa.
“In a special way, we celebrate Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and the Pope established this fourth Sunday as the day where people should pray for vocations,” he said.
The Archbishop stressed that vocations extend beyond priesthood and religious life to include marriage and family life, urging young people to open their hearts to God’s calling in whichever form it takes.
“We emphasise vocations so that when young people are called by God in a soft voice, they should start thinking about where they can serve God.
“Young boys are called not only to go for marriage – they are also called to be priests and brothers. For girls, there are different congregations of sisters, and there is also the vocation of marriage life. All of these are a call from God,” he said.
He further appealed for a united approach in guiding the youth.
“My invitation is that let us work together— the church, the government, the teachers, even village leaders. We should show how the youth can grow in a positive way, not working in isolation but working together,” said Msusa.
Youth Secretary for the Archdiocese, Gift Nsaka, echoed the Archbishop’s sentiments, urging young people to embrace their talents and actively participate in such events to deepen their understanding of their vocation within the Catholic Church.“We want the youth to choose the vocation through which they are to serve. We are encouraging all the youth not to be afraid but to expose themselves.
“A lot of them have different talents in terms of leadership, and attending more of these events will help them become more familiar with the church’s teachings,” he said.
This year’s Vocation Sunday was held under the theme: “The Interior Discovery of God’s Gift: Youths Be One in Christ, United in Mission.”
